Method for preparing glass bulbs for automatic sprinklers.



A. J. LOEPSINGER.

METHOD FOR PREPARING GLASS BULBS FOR AUTOMATIC SPRINKLERS. APPLICATIONFILED JULY3, 1912.

1,199,089 Patented Sept. 26,1916.

WITNE'EEEE. INVENTQ M ATTORNEY.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT J. LOEPSINGER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO GENERALFIRE EXTINGUISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

METHOD PREPARING GLASS BULBS FOR AUTOMATIC S PRINKLERS.

To all whom it may concern a Be it known that I, ALBERT'J. LOEPSIN- GER,of the city and county of Providence and State of Rhode Island,have"invented-a certain new and useful Method for Prepar ing Glass Bulbsfor Automatic Sprinklers; and I do hereby-declare thefollowingspecification, taken 1n connection with the accom- ,panyingdrawings, forming a" part of the same, to be a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof. 1

In an application of even date, Serial No, 707,467, I have shown anddescribed an automatic sprinkler of that type which embodies in itsconstruction a frangible vessel having expansible contents and which iscaused to be opened by the expansive or explosive force of the contentsof such frangible vessel induced by the action of heat. The pretratingthe several steps "of the method here-.

inafter described, Fig. 5 showing the bulb placed in a'receptaclecontaining liquid.

The frangible vessel comprises a' glass bulb 1 provided with anelongated neck 2. A sufficient quantity of liquid, preferably water, isplaced in the bulb so that when the same is heated up to a desiredtemperature, as for example 160 Fah., the bulb and its elongated neckwill be completely filled with the liquid at such high temperature, as

, shown in Fig. 1. The bulb and its contents are then cooled to normaltemperature, as

for example 70 Fah., which will cause a corresponding lowering of thelevel of the column of liquid in the neck of the bulb, as shown in Fig.2. A mark indicated by the dotted line 33 in Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, isthen made upon the exterior of the neck at the level of the column ofliquid therein. A quantity of ammonia or other gas is then introducedinto the bulb and the liquid charged therewith. The introduction of theSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application fi1ed Iu1y 3, 1912. Serial No. 707,471.

gas raises the level of the column in the neck of thebulb, as shown inFig. 3, and may even raise the level of the column to such an extent asto cause the liquid to overflow at the open end of the neck. When thedesired amount of ammonia or other gas has been thus introduced, asufficient quantity of the solution is withdrawn from the open end ofthe neck to bring the level of the column down to the mark which wasmade upon the neck, that is,- down to the. line,

33, as shown in Fig. 4. This leaves the bulb and neck with the properquantity of ammonia or other solution therein, and so that when the bulband itscontents are at any time thereafter heated up to the hightemperature hereinbe'fore suggested, that is, up to 160 Fah., the bulband neck will be again entirely filled with the solution.

A convenient way of sealing the bulb consists in placing the bulb withthe ammonia or other gas solution therein in a receptacle 5 containingsome conducting or heat absorbing liquid, such for example as water ormercury, as shown in Fig. 5, and then applying heat to fuse and closethe end of the neck and thus hermetically seal the bulb, as shown inFig. 6. Preferably the receptacle '5 is provided with suitably shapedholding devices 66 to receive and hold the bulb, as shown in Fig. 5. Bythus placing the bulb and its contents in a receptacle containing aconducting or heat-absorbing liquid the heat applied will be taken up bythe surrounding liquid in the receptacle fast enough to prevent theescape of any mav terial quantity of the gasfrom the bulb during theprocess of sealing.

By the method of preparing the bulb above described the water or otherliquid is introduced into the bulb without the gas and is charged withthe ammonia or other gas within the bulb. By regulating the amount ofgas introduced into the bulb a definite prescribed ratio of the gas tothe liquid may be readily provided.

I make no claim herein to the method of sealing the bulbs abovedescribed, the same forming the subject of a divisional application,Serial No. 83,681, filed March 11, 1916.

What I claim as my invention and desire ,to secure by Letters Patent is:

' full of a liquid at a desired high temperature, then cooling the bulband its contents to normal temperature, then introducing gas into theliquid until the solution substantially fills the bulb, then withdrawinga quantity of the solution until the level of the solution is broughtdown to the level of the liquid before the gas was introduced, and thensealing said bulb.

2. The method of filling and sealing glass bulbs which consists in firstfilling a bulb full of a liquid at a desired high vtemperature, thencooling the bulb and its contents to normalftemperature, then indicatingthe level of the liquid, then introducing gas into the liquid until. thesolution substantially fills the bulb, then withdrawing a quantity ofthe solution until the level of the solution to normal temperature, thenmaking a mark on the neck of the bulb at the level of the liquid, thenintroducing gas into the liquid until the solution substantially fillsthe bulb, then withdrawing a quantity of the solution until the level ofthe solution is brought down to the mark on the neck, and then sealingthe neck.

ALBERT J LOEPSINGER.

Witnesses: v

W. H. THtnRs'roN, J H. Tnuns'rou.

